For all you readers out there, today’s blog features five central works of Haitian literature by famous Haitian authors. These five books were selected from a plethora of amazing works. For now, we’ll start with this teaser. I hope these interest you enough to invest in a copies of your own to keep you company on a rainy day.
1. Love, Anger, Madness: A Haitian Trilogy, Marie Vieux-Chauvet (1968)
Marie Vieux-Chauvet’s Love, Anger, Madness is an important and critical commentary on the social and political landscape in Haiti during the 1960s with particular criticism of the Duvalier regime. Fearing retaliation, the trilogy was withdrawn from the public shortly after publication and considered lost until its 2005 re-issue. The trilogy consists of three novellas that depict the reactions members of different social classes to the oppression under the Duvalier regime, exploring the theme of power of fear as a force of social destruction. Vieux-Chauvet was born in Port-au-Prince and was forced into exile following publication of the book until she died in 1973.
2. Savage Seasons, Kettly Mars (2010)
Savage Seasons intertwines the realities and personal challenges of a family and the collective Haitian experience of living under the Duvalier regime, a violent time in Haiti’s political history. The book features symbolic relationships between its characters and Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier’s dictatorial regime. It’s a very popular work of Haitian literature written by Kettly Mars who was born and raised in Port-au-Prince and is one of the most active contemporary Haitian writers.
3. Masters of the Dew, Jacques Roumain (1941)
Masters of the Dew is a classic work in Haitian literature that tells the story of a young Haitian’s determination to ignite resistance and rebellion within his impoverished community. The book is a story of determination, hope, and redemption, depicting the harsh but beautiful nature of living as a peasant farmer in Haiti. Roumain was born to a wealthy family in Port-au-Prince and became actively involved in the resistance against U.S. occupation of Haiti between 1915 to 1934. He is known largely for his activism and is still one of the most prominent figures in Haitian literature.
4. General Sun, My Brother, Jacques Stephen Alexis (1999)
General Sun, My Brother tells the story of a couple’s journey from the Port-au-Prince slums to the sugar cane fields of the Dominican Republic. The book is a significant contribution to Haitian literature for its sharp examination of the exploitation of the poor and its account of the infamous 1937 Parsley Massacre, which was a mass killing of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic. Alexis is a descendant of one of Haiti’s founding fathers and grew up amidst conversations about social and political issues, shaping his views on Marxism. He was exiled for years for his activism and was captured, tortured, and killed when he returned to Haiti in 1961.
5. American Street, Ibi Zoboi (2017)
American Street draws from the author’s own immigrant experience in pursuit of the “American Dream,” touching on race, loyalty, religion, public education, domestic abuse, and police brutality. The story is infused with Haitian cultural notes and tells the shared story of hope and perseverance immigrants hold when leaving their home countries. Zoboi immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti when she was 4-years-old. She is a contemporary Haitian writer, focusing on the issues people of color face around the world.
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